THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

WASHINGTON, April 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a fact sheet on officer resettlement component of the U.S. assistance package for Russia announced at the summit in Vancouver:

Purpose
The United States and the West have an historic oppotunity to facilitate the return of troops to Russia by providing housing and job retraining for Russian officers who are being demobilized and returning to Russia. This officer resettlement initiative responds to a direct appeal from the government of Russia.

Program
This initiative will focus on facilitiating the resettlement of officers who are being demobilized upon return to Russia. In addition to building houses for these returning officers, it will provide employment retraining. Specifically, it will on a demonstration basis:

• Build 450 houses within 12-16 months for officers who are being demobilized and returning to Russia; and
• Provide employment training for the participating officers to facilitate their transition to civilian life.

Houses will be built in areas where local authorities are committed to market economic reforms. These sites also will be selected based upon availability of land, adequate infrastructure, and proximity to good transportation routes. To the extent possible, we will seek to use local labor and locallyavailable materials in the construction of these homes.

Providing housing and job retraining for troops returning to Russia is a visible sign of Western support for the Russian people and the Russian government. The United States will seek to encourage other donors to implement similar or complementary programs. We will also seek to expand this initiative in the future.

Total FY93 funding: $6 million

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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/